50 LLB graduates signal intention to become prosecutors Nandlall, has said that 50 law graduates from the University of Guyana (UG) have indicated their interest in being trained to serve as prosecutors. Attorney General, Anil Nandlall Nandlall Attorney General made this and Minister of Legal disclosure during his Affairs, Mohabir Anil address at the Budget
2020 debates on Friday. The graduates, all holders of Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degrees, will have to undertake a one-year accredited prosecutorial training programme at UG. This will soon be implemented through Support from the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) programme
This programme is funded by the Inter-American Bank (IDB), aimed at strengthening G u y a n a ’ s prosecutorial services. Graduates who are selected will be hired as prosecutors in the Magistrates’ courts in collaboration with the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Guyana Police Force.
The AG said one of the goals of the initiative is to address the overcrowding of local prisons. Guyana’s prison population significantly surpasses the world’s average with a rate of 264 per 100,000 and an occupancy level of 137.5 per cent. Nandlall attributed this to an over reliance
on custodial sentences and the overuse of pretrial detention in the criminal justice system. The AG first spoke of the initiative at the commissioning of the Court Superintendent Office at the Brickdam Police Station earlier this month.
MINISTRY TO ESTABLISH 6 NEW LEARNING CHANNELS
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, has said that six new learning channels will be established to allow students across Guyana
to access learning programmes virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will target students from Nursery Year One
through to Grade Eleven. Around $200 million was allocated in the Emergency 2020 Budget for the expansion of the Guyana Learning
Channel. The Minister told the National Assembly on Friday that this was part of the Government’s vision to utilise technology to boost education delivery.
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“We can even start programmes from 10 to 3 … that is the vision of this government. That is putting your money where your mouth is because we want to serve the people,” said the Minister. The Guyana Learning Channel has been operating on a timetable teaching schedule from 8 am to 6 pm. It provides at least two hours of programmes for the nursery to Grade 11 students. The Learning Channel was started by the PPP/C government with the vision to provide education to all parts of the country and it currently forms part of the Educational Sector Strategy Plan (ESSP) to use technology to push distance education
countrywide. The Minister also stated that the lack of support by the Opposition for the Budget was unreasonable. “You are taking away from the children of this country, the ability to get the teaching that they desire and deserve.” The Budget also allocated money to provide masks for teachers and students once schools can be reopened and to install sinks and water service in schools. $15 million has also been allocated for the establishment of an Education Radio Station which would reduce the Ministry’s dependence on local radio stations to provide educational material.
